turtledovefandomcom-20200216-history
Mich Carstairs
|birth = |occupation = |spouse = Jack Spivey|children = Sarah Jane|family = Charlie (brother)|professional affiliations = J.N. Hill's feed store}}Michelle "Mich" Carstairs (b. ca. 1910) was a young woman who lived in Oklahoma not long after the Big Bubble burst. Her older brother was Charlie Carstairs, a farm supplier in Enid, Oklahoma. In May 1934, Charlie refused to pay a debt to Big Stu Kesselring, Enid's crime boss. In order to squeeze Charlie into paying his debt, Big Stu find out that Carstairs' had a younger sibling. At the time, Mich lived in Ponca City. One of Big Stu's "employees" was Jack Spivey, who, in addition to his more illegal activities, also played semi-pro baseball with the Enid Eagles. When Big Stu learned that the Eagles were going to play the Ponca City Greasemen in Ponca City, Big Stu offered to pay to Spivey to strongarm the younger Carstairs. Big Stu stated that the younger Carstairs was a brother. Spivey had some misgivings, as he rarely did this sort of work, but agreed when Big Stu doubled the price, and even gave him a ten-dollar advance so he could go to Ponca City in advance of the Eagles.The House of Daniel, pgs. 3-5, ebook. When Spivey met Mich at her rented room in Ponca City, and confirmed that she was Mich Carstairs, he decided that he really didn't want to hurt a woman. Instead, Spivey convinced Mich that she was in danger and that she needed to leave Ponca City immediately. While he couldn't provide much detail, he was convincing enough that she agreed to leave the next day.Ibid., pgs. 12-14. Carstairs spoke to her brother, who agreed that she should leave Ponca City and Oklahoma altogether. So she headed for Los Angeles. She settled in Gardena, securing a job at a feed store owned by J.N. Hill who immediately hired her when he learned she'd helped her brother at his own feed store.Ibid., loc. 5915-5933. In August, 1934, through an amazing coincidence, Carstairs was working when Jack Spivey entered. She didn't recognize him at first, as he'd joined the semipro House of Daniel team, and had to grow out his beard. They discussed how they'd each wound up in Gardena, and discussed they night they met. Carstairs gave Spivey her contact info.Ibid., loc. 5869-5984. The House of Daniel remained in Los Angeles for the remainder of the year. Spivey began courting Carstairs in earnest.Ibid., loc. 6086. At the beginning of 1935, Spivey realized he wanted to settle down with Mich. After proposing to her, Spivey let Harv Watrous know he'd be "getting off the bus." He stayed with the House for the duration of their time in California. During this time, Rod Graver from Enid sent word that Big Stu Kesselring had been shot to death. About ten days before the House left, Spivey permanently quit and joined a local building company. He also started playing with the Gardena Galoshes.Ibid., loc. 6157-6287. Mich gave birth to their first daughter, Sarah Jane Spivey.Ibid., loc. 6287. As Spivey concluded his memoirs, Mich was pregnant a second time, and he hoped it would be a boy.Ibid., loc. 6296. References